2 Embryology of the Female Genitourinary Tract ................................................ 22 2.1 Development of the Gonads ..................................... 22 2.2 Relationship Between the Early Fetal Genital and Urinary Systems ................................................. 25 2.3 Development of the Fallopian Tubes Uterus, Cervix and Vagina............................................

Human female reproductive tract development rests mostly upon hematoxilyn and eosin stained sections despite recent advances on molecular mechanisms in mouse studies. We report application of immunohistochemical methods to explore the ontogeny of epithelial and mesenchymal differentiation markers (keratins, homobox proteins, steroid receptors), transcription factors and signaling molecules (TP6...

At coitus, human sperm are deposited into the anterior vagina, where, to avoid vaginal acid and immune responses, they quickly contact cervical mucus and enter the cervix. Cervical mucus filters out sperm with poor morphology and motility and as such only a minority of ejaculated sperm actually enter the cervix. In the uterus, muscular contractions may enhance passage of sperm through the uteri...

Secreted proteases play integral roles in sexual reproduction in a broad range of taxa. In the genetic model Drosophila melanogaster, these molecules are thought to process peptides and activate enzymes inside female reproductive tracts, mediating critical postmating responses. A recent study of female reproductive tract proteins in the cactophilic fruit fly Drosophila arizonae, identified perv...

Inflammation of the reproductive tract of a cow occurs when the physical and functional barriers to contamination are breached or specific infection occurs. Commonly, contamination occurs at parturition and to a lesser extent at estrus. Uterine contamination following calving is common, but most healthy cows are able to clear the uterus of bacteria in the first 2 to 3 wk after calving. Persiste...

A brief description of the basic pattern of mammalian organogenesis of the female reproductive tract is presented based on events as they occur in human beings. The emphasis is not on the details of this development, but rather its organization and timing. Tables of comparative development provide a comparison of similar events between man, rat, mouse, and chick.

create a niche for M. tuberculosis (10). Our hypothesis could be refuted or corroborated in several ways, for example, by a case-control study of HIV-negative patients infected with tuberculosis. If this study refutes our hypothesis, the idea that sex hormones play a direct role in the immune response to M. tuberculosis would be supported. Such findings might also provide possibilities for drug...

Our understanding of how male seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) influence the outcome of copulation in a wide range of insect taxa has been fueled primarily by studies of Drosophila (1). SFPs are known to localize, after copulation, to specific regions of the female reproductive tract and nervous system. Manipulative studies revealed that these proteins control a number of postcopulatory processes,...

It is well known that adipose tissue can influence puberty, sexual maturation, and fertility in different species. Adipose tissue secretes molecules called adipokines which most likely have an endocrine effect on reproductive function. It has been revealed over the last few years that adipokines are functionally implicated at all levels of the reproductive axis including the gonad and hypothala...

Immune surveillance in the female reproductive tract is dependent on the interplay of many factors that include the expression of pattern recognition receptors on epithelial cells, resident leukocyte populations and hormones, none of which are uniform. The lower reproductive tract must accommodate the presence of commensal organisms whereas the upper reproductive tract is sterile. However, the ...